What's Real
by Venotica
Summary: All Jaclyn wants is a way out of dreamsharing. When she is given a task by Peter Browning that could get her out, she jumps at the chance. Her task; find who performed inception on Robert Fisher, and turn them over. However, when she finds herself falling in love with the man she's supposed to betray, she must decide if what she feels is real, or just another dream.
1. Chapter 1: The Job

A/N: Thank you for taking an interest in my story! Here's chapter one. Please remember to R&amp;R!

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Chapter One: The Job

Jaclyn's pumps clacked loudly as she strolled across the marble of the office building's foyer toward the check-in desk. A few of the business men in the lobby stared at her as she strolled through. Whether they were staring because of the noise or because of the young, gorgeous blonde strolling through was unclear. Jaclyn tossed the men a smile anyway.

The building was huge. It was a headquarters for the Fischer-Morrow energy company. But that wasn't what Jaclyn was interested in. There was a man here by the name of Peter Browning. That's what she was interested in.

The woman at the check-in desk looked at Jaclyn politely before questioning her. "How may I help you?"

"I'm here to see Peter Browning. I have an appointment."

The woman nodded at her before picking up the phone and dialing a number. She talked into the phone for a few seconds before turning her attention back to her. "What is your name?"

"Jaclyn Blanc."

The woman repeated the name into the phone, and then hung up. "Go ahead. Fifteenth Floor."

Jaclyn nodded her thanks and walked past the security guards to the elevator.

She quickly pressed the button in the elevator and began the ascent to Mr. Browning's office. She had done her homework before coming here. Peter Browning was a major player in the company, being in even more power after the founder of the company, Maurice Fischer, had died only weeks ago. She understood that the son of the late Mr. Fischer had inherited the company.

Understandably, the company was on some rocky turf right now. It made sense that this Mr. Browning might attempt to get ahead now by hiring someone of Jaclyn's unique skill set. Jaclyn was capable of being both The Actress and The Extractor. Jobs essential in Extraction. She could only assume that Mr. Browning had contacted her because he needed an extraction performed. It was not uncommon. She would put together a team, and they would extract whatever information was needed.

As the elevator neared its stop, Jaclyn tucked a blonde curl behind her ear and tugged down lightly on her jacket before smoothing out her pencil skirt. Jaclyn always made sure she looked her best. After all, first impressions were essential.

The elevator opened to what looked like a waiting room. Across the room, there were large double doors in dark wood. Jaclyn assumed that beyond those doors was the office. She crossed the waiting room and was about to knock on the door when it opened abruptly.

The first thing she noticed about the man on the other side of the door was his astonishing blue eyes. He looked at her for a few moments before speaking. "Excuse me." Was all he said, rather shortly. Jaclyn quickly stepped to the side to allow him to pass. He began to walk past her, when a voice from within the office stopped the man short.

"Robert, we need to talk about this. You can't just do something this drastic without thinking it through. I understand you want to be your own man but-"

Jaclyn looked into the office to see the man who had spoken. From the photo's Jaclyn had received upon researching the client, this was undoubtedly Peter Browning. Which meant that the Robert he was speaking to must be Robert Fischer.

"No, Uncle Peter. I've scheduled a press release to announce my decision for two months from now. It's done." With that, Robert turned sharply and left the office, making his way to the elevator.

Jaclyn took it upon herself to walk into the office and shut the door behind herself. Behind the large desk sat a rather exasperated looking Peter Browning.

"I'm sorry if I've arrived at a poor time." Jaclyn said. "Would you prefer if we discussed your job offer at a later date?"

"No, no." Mr. Browning answered quickly. "Please, Ms. Blanc. Take a seat." He gestured to one of the large leather chairs in front of the desk, and Jaclyn quickly sat.

Peter Browning reached across his desk for a crystal liquor decanter, and quickly poured himself a shot. He lifted the crystal to offer her some, but she shook her head.

He drank the shot quickly, and then opened a file on his desk in front of him. Before he began to read, he slipped some glasses onto his face.

"So, Ms. Blanc. You're developing quite the reputation in your world."

"A positive reputation, I hope." Jaclyn answered simply with a smile.

"A reputation for getting results."

"I don't believe in failure."

"Good." Browning said. "There is no room for failure in this operation." He paused again to look at the file. "My research has shown you to be quite manipulative, Ms. Blanc. In your world, you've earned quite the nickname. The Femme Fatale."

Jaclyn couldn't help but smirk just slightly. "My methods for obtaining information have proven to be quite successful. I manipulate the mind in the way every extractor does. I've merely added my own unique twist."

Browning merely smiled in response.

"I'm assuming you're requesting an extraction." Jaclyn continued.

"No, not quite."

Jaclyn found herself caught off guard. "Perhaps I misunderstood your job offer. When we spoke on the phone, you said you were looking for a skilled extractor-"

"I am, Ms. Blanc. However, it's not extraction I need."

Jaclyn looked at the man for a few moments, narrowing her eyes slightly. "So then what is it you do need?"

"I need to know about inception."

Jaclyn froze immediately, caught off guard. "Inception?"

"Yes."

She was silent for a few moments as she gathered her thoughts. "Well, it is the opposite of extraction. Planting an idea in someone's mind. Most people in my line of work consider it to be an impossible task."

"Well is it impossible?"

"I don't believe so."

Browning stood and faced the window behind his desk. "I hired a point-man before I hired you." He began. "He has been feeding me the information I need about your world. He has told me of a rumor circulating. That inception has been done."

Jaclyn nodded her head. "It has been circulating recently, yes. But this is not unusual. Many people claim to have performed inception. Falsely of course."

Browning was silent for a moment.

"Do you know who the inception of this rumor was performed by?"

"No."

"Do you know whom it was done to?"

"No."

Browning took his glasses of his nose and gave an exasperated sigh. "How difficult would it be to find out this information?"

"Highly difficult." Jaclyn answered. "If the person whom it was performed on ever found out about it, they would undoubtedly be furious. The team who did it would be killed. So, I'm sure if they really did do it they would keep shut about it."

There was more silence. "Why are you also considered The Actress?" Browning asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"In a dream, projections don't recognize me as a dreamer. They recognize me as one of them for extended periods of time, even if I change the dream. Eventually they will converge on me, but I usually have about three or four times more time in the dream before they do so, when compared to a regular dreamer. However, if someone directly tells the subject I'm not a projection, they then treat me as they would a dreamer."

"How do you come by possessing this trait?"

"Our traits in the dream world are directly related to our traits in real life. In the real world, I'm a skilled actress. In the dream, I can pose as a projection."

Browning was silent again. When he finally turned around to speak, his glasses were in his hands.

"Ms. Blanc, I need you to find the people who performed inception."

"I told you, Mr. Browning, this information is more than likely false. Inception is nearly impossible."

"It was done." He said firmly. "I know it. It was performed on Robert."

Jaclyn went completely still. "How can you be sure?"

"I just know. Shortly after his father passed, he changed. He's now possessed by this idea. This idea that he wants to destroy his father's empire."

"With all due respect, Mr. Browning, it's possible that Mr. Fischer simply changed his-"

"No!" Browning suddenly yelled, slamming his fist against the desk. "This isn't the Robert I know. He never would have destroyed his whole inheritance. And on top of that, he's become completely distant from me. All he talks about now is this idea. His mind, has been infiltrated damnnit. I know it."

And just as suddenly, his fit of anger went away.

Jaclyn swallowed before continuing. "Even if this were true, and his mind had been infiltrated. Finding the team that had done so would be incredibly difficult. And if I betrayed them to you, no team would ever hire me again. I would be out of a job forever."

"Which is why I'm willing to pay you eighty million dollars to complete this assignment."

Jaclyn stared at the man across from him like he was insane. "Eighty million?"

"Yes. And I will pay you five million up front, if you accept it."

Jaclyn leaned back in her chair, her mind racing wildly. It was a lot of money. With the correct accountants, she would never have to work again. She could finally relax, and stop being on the run. She could settle down and have a family with somebody, and never have to worry about prying questions into what she was doing. The idea of having an intimate relationship with someone that lasted longer than one night was what intrigued her the most. And the idea that she could actually be a mother.

"And what if I don't succeed? I mean, there's no guarantee that his mind has even been infiltrated." Jaclyn questioned.

"Then you keep the five million and we go our separate ways."

Jaclyn paused again, thinking. It was a tempting offer. No doubt this job could take years to accomplish.

"I'll be traveling a lot in order to complete this job."

"I will cover all of your travel fees. Including hotels."

"I can't guarantee you a time period for the job to be completed in. This could take years." Jaclyn continued.

"I don't care how long it takes. I want to find the people who did this and make them pay. I will show them what happens when you tamper around with people's minds."

Jaclyn paused again, her mind still racing. He was handing her the perfect opportunity to have everything she ever wanted. She would be handing several people over to Browning, though. For him to do whatever he saw fit. Was it worth it? Was it worth the escape she had been seeking for the past several years? She let out a sigh before looking up at Browning and meeting his eyes. "Alright. I accept."

With that, she stood and shook Browning's hand.

"Excellent Ms. Blanc, excellent. I will have the money wire-transferred to you."

Jaclyn nodded, and then turned away from the man. She walked across the office towards the door, and just before she was about to leave, Browning spoke again.

"Ms. Blanc, I will be expecting updates on your progress."

"Of course, Mr. Browning." With that, she walked out of the office and closed the door behind her. She walked as quickly as she could to the elevator. When she reached it, she quickly shut the door and hit the button for the ground floor. As soon as the doors to the elevator closed, she let out a heavy sigh. What in the hell had she gotten herself into?

As soon as Jaclyn was out of sight of the building, she took out her cell phone and quickly dialed a phone number. The phone rang several times before it was answered.

"Hello?"

Jaclyn felt a breath she hadn't known she was holding be released when she heard her friend's voice. "Maya, hey. I need your help."

Jaclyn heard the point-woman on the other line let out an overly dramatic sigh. "What did you get yourself into this time?"

"It's a job." Jaclyn answered quickly. "If I complete it, I may never have to work again."

Maya was silent on the other line for a few seconds. "Alright. Well what can I do to help?"

"I need you to locate every flight, train ride, surgery, boat ride, etcetera that Robert Fischer has been on in the last six months that have lasted at least five hours. And I need to know every single person that was on that flight with him, that train, that boat, and anyone that came near him while he was out for surgery."

"Jesus, Jaclyn. You know that information isn't really easy to get, right?"

"Exactly why I called you."

Jaclyn heard her friend laugh on the other end of the line. "Alright, I'll do my best. But I want a cut."

"Of course. Do you really think I would leave you hanging?"

"You never really know in our line of business. Meet me at Plaza Athenee hotel in Paris in one month with the money, and I'll have your information."

"Alright. See you then."

Jaclyn hung up the phone and hailed a cab. As she climbed into the yellow car, the only thing she could think was, 'It's worth it. It'll all be worth it in the end.'

* * *

_One month later_

Jaclyn felt her heart twist in her chest as the taxi she was in passed the Eiffel Tower. The last time she had come to Paris had been several years prior. She had been much younger, and deeply in love with her at the time fiancé, Ben. She had just stepped into the world that was dream sharing, and she had been blind to all of this world's dangers. Her fiancé had been an extractor, and had been killed after failing to complete a job. Now every place that she had been with him was a sore reminder of what couldn't be.

After her fiancé had died, Jaclyn had promised herself that she wouldn't allow herself to love so long as she was in this lifestyle. It was just too dangerous. In the life, she had no romantic relationships that lasted longer than one night.

The taxi finally arrived at the hotel, and Jaclyn was quick to check in. As she was finished checking in, the clerk subtly handed her a sealed envelope. Jaclyn nodded to the man before proceeding to her room.

The room was lovely, of course. A suite, decorated very elegantly. Jaclyn couldn't help but to smile to herself. This was exactly the kind of decadence that Maya would expect while staying at a hotel. Although, Jaclyn had to admit she wasn't much different. She also appreciated the finer things in life.

As soon as she had shut the door behind herself and locked it, she opened the envelope. She recognized Maya's handwriting immediately.

_Jaycee,_

_La Cour Jardin at six._

_Maya_

Jaclyn remembered the restaurant distinctly. She had been there with Ben when they had come to Paris.

She let out a sigh and placed the envelope on the end table beside her bed. There was a clock sitting there that read 4:38. She had enough time to get ready before going to dinner.

She showered as quickly as she could before blowing out her hair and changing into a simple red dress for dinner.

She made the restaurant just before six. Of course, another beautiful place. It was an outdoor restaurant, in the center of the hotel. Absolutely gorgeous.

It wasn't any surprise to her that the host took her straight to a table where Maya was sitting. Maya always did like to arrive early.

"Nice to see you again." Maya said simply as Jaclyn walked up.

Jaclyn had always thought of her friend as exceedingly pretty. She was naturally tan, and always kept her brown hair cut short. While Jaclyn had never been able to pull off the look, Maya did it exceedingly well.

Jaclyn took the seat opposite her friend and smiled. "Same to you. It's been way too long."

The two girls exchanged small talk for a while, until the main course arrived. It was then that Maya got down to business. She reached into her purse and quickly pulled out a small flash drive.

"That contains all of the information you asked me to get." Maya said simply, holding up the flash drive before sliding it to her across the table.

Jaclyn nodded. "I can't thank you enough for this."

Maya laughed in response. "I would hope so. That information wasn't easy to get."

There were a few moments of silence before Maya spoke up again. "So what's the job?"

Jaclyn shook her head. "I don't think I can tell you."

"Well, if that list has anything to do with this job, I can tell you that it won't be easy. I had to get a lot of help to get that done. You won't be able to do this alone."

Jaclyn merely crossed her arms and stared intently across the courtyard. "No. I can do this."

Maya rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying that you can't. I'm just saying, it would be a lot easier with some help. I want to get out of this life just as much as you do."

Jaclyn hoped her silence would have been answer enough for Maya, but the woman across from her was not letting up in her stare-down. "I don't want to put you in danger." Jaclyn finally stated. "Extraction jobs are dangerous enough. If anyone from our world finds out what I'm trying to do, I could get killed. If you help me, so could you."

"Jaclyn." Maya began simply. "I know after what happened with Ben," Jaclyn couldn't help but to shift uncomfortably in her seat at the mention of her late fiancé's name. "You have this overwhelming desire to protect other people. But if you try to do whatever this is alone, you're probably going to wind up getting killed. I know you don't want that, and I don't want that."

Jaclyn sat in silence, her arms crossed as she looked at her friend. "Alright, fine. But honestly I'm not even sure it can be done."

Maya immediately perked up very excitedly. "Well what's the job?"

"A major businessman thinks that his godson's mind has been infiltrated. He wants me to find out who did it."

"What, like find the people that extracted information from him?"

"Not quite. Find the people that planted an idea there."

Maya laughed out loud in response. "He thinks someone performed inception on his godson? Did you tell him that he was off his rocker?"

"I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn't listen."

"Inception is nearly impossible."

"Nearly." Jaclyn repeated. "And you know the rumor that has been circulating around."

"Yeah, but people always start rumors about inception."

"But this rumor is different. I know it."

Maya was silent for a few moments. "So what exactly is your plan of action?"

"Cross reference every person we know with the people on your list and see if we get any matches." When Maya stared at her incredulously Jaclyn merely shook her head. "I know it's a long shot, but if I do this, I can stop working like this."

"How much is he paying?"

"Eighty Million."

"Jesus." Maya answered quickly. She was quiet for a moment, before she spoke up. "Do you think it's worth it? What's he going to do to these people once you find them?"

Jaclyn met eyes with Maya carefully. "You know what he will do." Torture, would be a good start. Browning seemed hell-bent on revenge. It wasn't likely that he was going to just kill them right off. Whatever happened to these people, it was more like they would endure a lot of punishment before he finally got rid of them.

Maya sat silently. "One last job." She finally stated. "Where the risks are higher than anything we've ever done before." She was quiet again before she answered. "Alright, how about this? You get fifty and I'll get thirty. And together, we finish everything."

"Sounds like a deal." Jaclyn answered.

"Well then we don't have any time to waste."

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A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading chapter one! I was originally planning on making this chapter a little bit longer, but I figured I'd save that up and wait for chapter two.

This story will be Eames/OC, so be prepared. He'll be introduced in the next chapter.

If you liked it so far, please review.

Also, for the character's I do have actresses' in mind for anyone who's curious.

Jaclyn Blanc- Scarlett Johansson

Maya Smith- Halle Berry

And of course, thank you to the Inception soundtrack, which was playing the whole time I wrote this chapter.


	2. Chapter 2: The Call

A/N: Here's chapter 2! Enjoy! Please R&amp;R!

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Chapter 2: The Call

_Mombasa, 5 months after Inception_

Jacob Eames sipped on a beer as he looked down at the crowded streets below him from his balcony view from the bar he was at. It had been almost five months since he had been a part of the crew that had performed inception on Robert Fischer. And where was he now? Back in Mombasa.

After the group had gone their separate ways, Eames hadn't entirely known where to go. Arthur and Ariadne had gone off together, Cobb had stayed in America with his kids, and Yusuf had headed out on his own. And now Eames found himself in the same place he had been. Mombasa, alone.

He preferred it that way. He didn't have to watch out for anyone but himself. However, he did admit he could use some company every now and again. But then again, he could always pick someone up for that, or pay someone if he really needed to.

He took another sip of his beer, and leaned against the railing as he took another look at the street below him. The movement of all the people seemed like an excited beehive, buzzing right under his feet. A smile formed on his face at the thought, and he took another sip.

That was when his phone started buzzing in his pocket.

Eames took his phone out of his pocket, and glanced at the number briefly before smirking and answering the phone.

"Arthur, old chap. How are things?"

"Hello, Eames." Was Arthur's simple, slightly annoyed response. "Obviously you're doing well."

"When am I not?" Came Eames' smart retort.

"Never, apparently." Arthur replied. "But I didn't call you to see what you were up to."

"Oh really? I do have to say I'm disappointed. It would've been nice to have a chat with my favorite stick-in-the-mud."

Arthur let out a sigh over the phone. "I'm being serious. There's something you need to know about. There was a hacking into some major airlines a few months ago. They kept it under wraps from the press, but I found out about it."

"Alright. Let's get to the part where this is important to me." Came Eames' response.

"All of these hackings have one thing in common. They were airlines that Robert Fischer has used in the past year."

Eames' smile vanished from his face almost instantly. "What does this mean?"

"I think someone is looking for us." Arthur replied. "I started doing some digging after I found out about the airlines, and it looks like there was some other information stolen from different agencies. All it is is lists of names. People on the planes, people on trains, people in hospitals. I'm sure that more was stolen, but it was impossible for me to hack into all of the databases to know for sure. And I'm sure they've hacked into other agencies that probably didn't even notice they got inside. Whoever this hacker is, they know what they're doing."

"But why would anyone come after us? How would they even know where to look?"

"Someone must suspect foul play. It could just be a coincidence, but it's unlikely. I tossed around the idea of someone trying to steal money, but all they're taking is lists of names. Someone is hunting for us."

"So what do you suggest I do?" Eames replied. His tone was much more serious now. This was their lives they were talking about.

"Just be careful. Stay far away from anyone talking about inception, and only accept jobs from people you trust. Actually, it might be safer to not take any jobs at all for a while."

Eames nodded and self-consciously glanced over his shoulder. "Alright mate. Thanks for the heads-up."

"No problem, Eames."

Eames ended the call, but then found himself checking over his shoulder again. He knew the risks of inception, but hadn't thought that so long after it had happened that he would still be in danger. The best thing he could do now was lie low. And as he took another sip of his beer, that was exactly what he intended to do.

* * *

_Mombasa: One Year after Inception_

Eames sat at a table, a beer, some crap food, and a cigar on the table in front of him. A pretty decent mix. He popped the cap on the beer, and leaned back in his chair to relax. It had been seven months since his talk with Arthur, and he had been lying about as low as one could. He didn't necessarily need to take any jobs anyway. Not after the money he had pulled from the Fischer job. But he was beginning to get antsy. He hadn't done much since Arthur had called him, and it wasn't like Eames to sit still for too long. That's why he had agreed to meet with an Architect he knew today.

He spotted the man as soon as he walked in. He wasn't very tall, and he always had a nervous appearance to himself, despite being younger than Eames. The man glanced around quickly before spotting Eames, and immediately headed over to him.

"Eames." He greeted him simply as the man sat across from him.

"Louis." He replied.

The man pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket and immediately lit one up.

"How ya been, Eames?" The man asked him. "You seem like you're doing well. Nice new shirt, a cigar."

Eames let out a small chuckle in response. "I've been doing alright."

"I'm certainly glad you have been. But me, I've actually got to work for a living." The man took a deep drag on his cigarette. "But I need help, and I know you can help me."

Eames nodded his head, and glanced out towards the street. This balcony was his favorite spot in all of Mombasa. "I can see what I can do."

"It's a pretty simple extraction. I'm gonna need a few documents. I'm sure you can handle that. But if you wanna go in with me, I could use your help with that too."

Eames nodded. "Sounds good. Who else is involved? Anyone I know?"

"I don't believe so." Louis replied after taking another drag.

"Are they trustworthy?" Eames questioned.

"What are ya kidding me? Of course, Eames. You know me."

Eames paused for a moment and considered Arthurs warning. But, it had been quite a while since that had happened. And he had worked with Louis on many jobs, nothing had ever gone wrong.

"Alright, mate." Eames replied. "Tell me about this job."

* * *

_Paris, France: One Year after Inception_

Jaclyn lazed about on the large queen bed in her suite. Across the room, Maya was staring at the screen of her laptop. It had been almost a year since she had gotten her assignment from Peter Browning, and she was beginning to give up any hope of its completion. Browning's calls had been getting more and more impatient every time she contacted him. The man wasn't very patient to begin with, and she had a feeling that he may call the job off if she didn't get results pretty soon. Jaclyn couldn't say that she would be disappointed if he did. So far, all this job had done was make her impatient, give her a headache, and giver her false hope.

Jaclyn rubbed her eyes and sighed. She glanced at the clock to her left, which promptly read '12:34am'.

"Alright. I say we call it a night." Jaclyn sighed.

Maya stretched and nodded in response. "I agree." The other girl stood from in front of her chair and crossed the room to sit next to Jaclyn on the bed.

"Your employer has sent you on a wild goose chase." Maya stated simply.

Jaclyn laughed. "Hey, I got five million so far out of this goose chase." She adjusted herself to a sitting position before talking again. "Oh, well. I told him it was a long shot. I don't think that he can take the anticipation for much longer, anyway. He'll probably call it off on his own in a couple of months."

The news had been abuzz recently with the decision to break up the Fischer-Morrow empire. The process of breaking apart the company had already begun. Jaclyn was sure that that was the reason that he had been so impatient with the assignment that he had given her.

Maya nodded in response. "He doesn't strike me as a very patient individual." Maya had been watching the news with Jaclyn. While Robert Fischer was the prominent one in the news, Peter Browning had been featured in a couple of interviews, and could always be seen lurking in the background of interviews and press conferences.

"Can you blame him?" Jaclyn responded. "He could be about to lose a lot of money if Robert doesn't make some sort of astounding business."

Maya nodded in response. She was about to speak again, when her phone went off across the room. She stood from her place on the bed, and went across the room to where her phone was sitting beside her laptop. She paused to identify the number before answering the call.

"Hello? Hey. I've been good. No, I'm not busy. Paris. Well, you know me. Ok. What kind of job? Alright. Sounds good. Do you still need an extractor? I have a pretty good one that I've been running with for a while now. Good. We'll be there. Who else are we working with? Never heard of him. Alright, I'll take your word for it. See ya then."

With that, Maya hung up the phone.

"I hope you feel like doing a job." Maya said with a laugh as she hung up her phone.

"Anything to get me out of this hotel." Jaclyn replied with a laugh.

Maya nodded. "I figured you'd say that."

Maya sat down at her computer again and started typing. "It's a guy I've worked with a couple of times before. He's alright. I already ran his name through our little database here, but he mentioned a Thief I've never heard of before. Some guy named Jacob Eames."

She typed on the keyboard and pressed enter, and then the program she had created went to work cycling through all of the lists she had created.

Jaclyn waited patiently for the low two-tone note that would indicate that there was no match on any of the lists. She was shocked when there was an upbeat 'bing' from Maya's computer.

The two of them looked at each other, then over to the computer screen, then back at each other. In one second, Jaclyn was up from her spot on the bed and at the computer screen.

"Run it again." She ordered immediately.

Without a word, Maya typed the name into the database again. They waited about thirty seconds, and then the 'bing' happened again, and his name was on the screen.

"Jacob Eames. He was on a flight from Sydney to LA with Fischer just days after his father passed away."

Jaclyn stared at the screen in disbelief. "Holy shit."

They both were silent for a moment, then Jaclyn let out an excited squeal. "Oh my god. We got a hit! I can't believe it!" She excitedly hugged her friend around her shoulders which caused Maya to let out a laugh.

"And, we're about to do a job with him. Can you believe it? Oh, wow. He's right there, literally within reach. I can't believe it."

Maya laughed at her friends rambling. "We just have to make sure that this really is him before we turn him into Browning." She added on a more serious note. "It could be just coincidence. After all, it looks like he had his ticket booked way before Fischer did."

"Oh, of course." Jaclyn replied, still breathless. "Don't worry, I won't hand someone over to Browning that could be innocent. But do you know what this means? We could be done. In another year, we could get out of this forever. Can you imagine?"

The other woman smiled and sighed. "Let's just get this job over with them over with, and then we'll talk about our future lives."

Jaclyn nodded, and then went over to her purse to fish out her phone. She glanced at her clock again, which now read 12:40am. She did the math in her head. It would be 3:40pm in Los Angles. She quickly took a couple of breaths to calm herself, before dialing for Browning.

The phone rang three times before he answered.

"Peter Browning." Came the man's voice.

"I got a hit." She answered.

There was silence on the line for a few moments, before Browning answered. "Alright. Move forward with it."

* * *

A/N: And there is chapter two! Hope you enjoyed!

Please R&amp;R! Next chapter, Jaclyn and Eames finally meet!


	3. Chapter 3: The Mark

Chapter 3: The Mark

A/N: Hello, and thank you for reading! Here's chapter 3, where Jaclyn and Eames finally get to meet one another.

Enjoy!

* * *

Eames kept his hands shoved into his pockets as he waited with Louis in the San Francisco International airport at baggage claim. The two partners that were supposed to be meeting with them for this job should have just gotten off of their flight from France.

"What do they look like?" Eames asked Louis. "At least so I know who I should be looking for, since you don't seem to be paying any attention." The other man was focused in on playing a game on his iPhone.

"Maya had, short, brown hair last time I saw her. Tan. I don't know what the other one looks like."

Eames froze for one moment, and then turned his gaze to Louis. "What do you mean you don't know what the other one looks like?"

"I never met her before." Louis answered nonchalantly as he continued to play some bubble game on his phone.

"Louis." Eames stated as calmly as he could. "You remember when I asked you if these people were trustworthy? And you told me they were?"

Louis nodded, but didn't look up from his phone "Yeah."

"How can you know if someone is trustworthy, if you've never met them before?" Eames replied back, the end of his sentence said slightly through his teeth.

"Hey, hey, settle down alright? Listen, Maya's a great girl, doesn't have a bad bone in her body. I'm sure her little friend is just as wonderful." Louis retorted, finally putting his phone away. "You need to calm down, alright? When did you become so untrusting?"

"Maybe you should start thinking about what you say before you say it. 'Doesn't have a bad bone'? No, she just infiltrates people's minds and steals highly valuable information for a living. Great gal." Eames let out an annoyed sigh. "It doesn't matter, it's a little too late now."

Louis smiled. "See, there ya go. Just roll with the punches."

Eames couldn't help but to be annoyed, but it was too late now. He didn't really have any choice but to trust these women.

They stood there for another few minutes before people started coming down from the escalators just ahead of baggage claim. Louis stood on his toes for a moment before smiling and motioning his head towards the elevators. "There's my girl." He replied to Eames, gesturing in the direction of the escalators. Eames looked in the direction that Louis had gestured in, and saw a tan, dark haired woman descending from the floor above them. She had her head turned away from them, and was talking to another woman. And Eames couldn't help but to stare.

She was talking to one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Her blonde hair was just long enough to go past her shoulders, and was in long, soft ringlets. He could generally make out her face from the distance he was at, but the closer she got the prettier she got. She was wearing a pencil skirt with heels and a suit jacket, but despite the business appearance, she still appeared incredibly sexy.

_Bloody hell. What have I gotten myself into?_

Louis nudged Eames in the arm and gave him a smirk before, before walking over towards the two women. Louis immediately walked up to Maya and gave her a friendly hug. After the two had exchanged their greeting, Maya immediately began the process of introductions.

"Jaclyn, this is Louis, our architect." She began, gesturing towards him.

Louis extended his hand to shake Jaclyn's. "Nice to meet you." He responded.

"Likewise." She replied simply as she shook his hand.

Louis then gestured towards Eames. "Maya, Jaclyn, this is master thief and forger, Jacob Eames."

"Just Eames is fine." Eames said immediately. He shook his hands with Maya first, and then with Jaclyn.

He glanced up into the latter woman's face as he shook her hand. She was just as stunning up close as she was far away. Her skin was pale, yet beautiful, and she had stunning green eyes. He quickly diverted his gaze from her face before muttering a quick, "Nice to meet you."

The four of them walked towards the luggage carousel, which had yet to deposit any luggage. Louis immediately paired up with Maya in conversation, which left him alone with Jaclyn.

Normally, Eames considered himself to have quite a way with women. Then again, he normally had time to psyche himself up before approaching one in a bar. And if a woman approached him, she obviously found him attractive. That alone was usually enough of a confidence boost to allow smooth sailing from then on out. He hadn't exactly been prepared for a bombshell of an Extractor to show up for their job.

He was struggling to think of a conversation topic when Jaclyn beat him to it.

"So, Master Thief?" The woman asked him, a coy smile playing about her lips.

Eames let out a small chuckle in response. "Louis does have an air for the dramatic at times."

"So then you're not a master thief?" Jaclyn questioned him, the smile still present on her lips.

"I never said that." Eames replied with his signature winning smile. _Finally regaining my footing._ He thought confidently to himself.

"You certainly think highly of yourself." The blonde replied. She glanced away from him as luggage began coming onto the carousel. After she had spotted hers, she moved forward to grab her luggage, but Eames brushed against her to beat her to it. He pulled the luggage off of the carousel, and sat it down in front of her.

"I have my reasons to." He replied as he sat down her luggage.

Jaclyn pressed the button on her luggage to extend the handle before responding to him. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Open your hand." He ordered her simply.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

He smiled at her. "Just do it."

She opened her palm to him obediently, and he deposited the silver chain he had removed from her wrist just moments before there. The woman blinked several times at the piece of silver there, and then looked urgently at her opposite wrist, which was now bare.

"How did you-?" She asked him quickly. When he just smiled, she shook her head. "Alright, I'm impressed." She finally admitted.

He removed the bracelet from her hand and clasped it onto her opposite wrist for her. Next to them, Maya had also fetched her luggage. She and Louis were already headed out of the airport. "Shall we?" Eames asked Jaclyn. The woman nodded, and Eames went to reach for her luggage. "Sure you're not going to steal anything from me?" She questioned playfully before he touched her luggage. "I promise." He responded.

* * *

The ride to the hotel they were staying at wasn't very long. The ladies checked into their room, while Eames went with Louis to his room to wait for the two women.

"So, what do you think of them?" Louis asked Eames when they finally reached the room.

"They seem like very nice ladies." Eames replied nonchalantly as he sat down in a chair.

"You and Jaclyn seemed to get along pretty well." Louis remarked as he sat across the table from Eames.

"She's a nice girl." He replied with the same cool tone.

Louis eyed the other man for a moment before there was a soft knock on the door. He immediately rose from his seat to go and answer it, and the two ladies walked into the room. Louis gestured for them to have a seat at the glass table Eames was already seated at. The two women sat, and Maya placed her bag on the table in front of her.

Maya pulled out a manila folder from her bag, and opened it on the middle of the table. Inside were several pictures, and a few documents and files.

"Alright." She began. "I did some research about our Mark, Michael Sharper. He's head researcher at Vi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company based here in San Francisco. Our mark is something of a genius in his field of study, releasing some of the most important research on genetic modification of viruses. Turns out that eventually, this research could lead to cures for cancer and HIV. Our employer wants us to steal some of his unreleased findings." Maya placed a picture of the man in the center of the table along with some papers about him. Jaclyn picked up some of the papers and began to browse over the man's profile.

"Alright." Jaclyn replied to the woman. "What's our best option for putting him under?"

"It shouldn't be very hard to get our researcher alone long enough to extract the information." Maya replied. "From what I've uncovered about him, it looks like he's actually quite the pig. He goes out drinking every weekend and gets black-out drunk at the same club every night. He hits on women much younger than himself, attempts to pick them up, the whole nine-yards. Some weekends he doesn't come home to his wife at all."

"This bloke is making it a little too easy for us." Remarked Eames.

"It looks that way, doesn't it?" Maya replied. "But I'm pretty sure that he's had his mind trained by an extractor to prevent extraction."

"Lovely." Eames replied.

Maya nodded in agreement. "However, he does have an overbearing boss, which could be advantageous to us."

"I propose we stage a conference in the dream. We'll have to make sure he brings the right information with him to the conference, so we'll need to make sure his boss is there." Jaclyn stated. When she turned her head to look towards Eames, he met her gaze. "Could you impersonate him?"

"If I can get access to him to observe his behaviors, it shouldn't be a problem." Eames replied.

"We're gonna need to get into that facility." Louis responded. "What's our overbearing boss' name?"

Maya deposited another picture and file on the table, which Eames then picked up. "Henry Wiles." Eames read from the file. "Demanding, obsessed with profit, the end justifies the means type of guy. Sounds like a real charming bloke."

"So how do we get into the facility?" Louis questioned.

"We're gonna need authentication badges." Maya responded. "If I can find you an example of one, can you make us fakes?" She directed at Eames.

Eames nodded his head. "I believe so." Maya nodded in response.

"You mind if I hold onto this?" Eames asked Maya, referring to the file in his hand. The woman shook her head in response. "Not at all."

"Well, it's getting late." Jaclyn stated. "I say we start the real hard work tomorrow morning."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, and soon the two women were on the way to their room. Eames followed shortly after them to his own room, where he quickly showered and had no problem falling asleep.

* * *

Jaclyn and Maya returned to their room after the meeting with the two men. It was a decent sized suite, with a separate room for each woman. Jaclyn walked over to the couch located in the shared living room and sat down. She removed the heels from her feet with a relieved sigh. Across the coffee table, Maya sat down in a chair and did the same.

"So, what do you think?" Maya asked Jaclyn. "Does he look good for it?"

Jaclyn pondered for a moment before answering. "Off of first impressions? I don't know. He's good. That's apparent."

"Why do you say that?" Maya asked her.

"He slipped my bracelet right off my wrist. I didn't even notice that he touched my wrist. I felt him brush my shoulder, and the next thing I knew he was holding my bracelet."

Maya laughed when she said that. "Certainly doesn't mean he's capable of inception."

"Well, no, of course not." Jaclyn replied. "But it was a pretty impressive show of skill."

Maya merely smirked at the other woman. "I think you were just impressed with _him_ in general."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jaclyn shot back at the other woman.

"Oh, come on. As if you didn't notice. He's gorgeous!" Maya replied.

Jaclyn shook her head. "I am approaching this from a completely business perspective." She replied. "And unless him being unusually attractive benefits my end goal, I won't be approaching it."

Maya threw her hands up at the other woman. "Well, fine. You can not notice it if you want to. I, on the other hand, am going to enjoy the view." The woman stood up from her chair and walked into her room. Before closing her door, she poked her head around the doorframe. "Oh, and if he isn't good for it, I call dibs." With that, she shut her door and went into her room.

"What, are we in fifth grade or something?" Jaclyn yelled playfully to the other woman through the door.

* * *

_The breeze was warm, and the air was fragrant. She was at a beach somewhere, her sundress brushing against her skin playfully. She leaned against the wooden railing and closed her eyes, taking in the soft, warm breeze and the smell of salt in the air. She opened her eyes as she felt arms slide around her waist and a chin rest against her shoulder._

"_Was I right about this place?" Ben asked her after placing a small kiss on her cheek._

_Jaclyn nodded in response. "It's beautiful." She turned around to face the man behind her, and he moved to rest his hands on her hips._

_Dark, slightly curly hair. Dark eyes that were so blue they almost seemed to match the turquoise sea in front of her. And just a little bit of five-o'clock shadow. This was the man that was her whole world._

_He smiled at her. A simple, sweet smile, which she returned with ease. He traced along her arm with his fingertips, and she stood on her tiptoes, to give him a kiss._

Jaclyn awoke with a start. Immediately, her hands flew to her lips, and she inhaled deeply to make sure there wasn't a taste of salt in the air. She rose from her bed and walked to the bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her face several times.

_What the hell was that? _She thought urgently to herself as she stared herself down in the mirror. She couldn't even recall the last time she had dreamed period, let alone dreamed about Ben. She splashed water on her face again. The experience had left her with chills all over her body. She dabbed her face dry with a towel, and then walked back over to her bed. She was about to crawl back into the bed, when she changed her mind, and walked over to her purse. She dug around in one of the compartments, until she withdrew a ring.

The ring was still just as stunning to her as the first time she had seen it, when Ben had proposed. It was a simple ring, with a large square cut diamond in the center, and two smaller diamonds on either side of it. Most of the time she kept the ring in her purse. Occasionally, she would wear the ring on her right hand. It was very rare that she would put the ring on her left hand. But tonight, she did. She slipped the thin band onto her left finger, and looked at it for just a moment. But as she stared at the ring, memories came flooding back to her. She quickly yanked the ring back off of her finger, and stuffed it back into her purse.

She sighed heavily, and closed her eyes for a moment. Everything about dream-sharing reminded her of Ben. She knew that even if she didn't have to do dream sharing for a living, Ben would still be part of her life. But she wouldn't have even known dream sharing without him. Everything about this lifestyle was Ben.

She stood and crossed the room to her bed, and crawled under the sheets again. The sheets had cooled in her absence, and only intensified the chills she was having. As she crawled into the bed, she felt unusually cold and alone. For a moment, she could have sworn she smelled Ben's cologne. She glanced over her shoulder at the made-up side of the bed where Ben would have normally been. Of course, he wasn't there. And just as quickly as it had come, the smell of his cologne was gone.

She had a feeling as to why she was having these sudden flash backs. She had felt guilty when Maya had been teasing her about Eames. He was exceptionally handsome, and she couldn't deny that she had been flirting with him. Of course, she didn't mean anything by it. She wouldn't allow herself to become emotionally attached to someone that she was quite possibly going to betray. But still, the guilt was still there. It had been a long time since Ben had passed away, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she found herself being more open to advances from men.

However, after such a vivid dream, she had a feeling that she wouldn't be flirting with anyone for a while. She lay awake in bed for a few more minutes before she finally shut her eyes, and willed herself to have a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it!

Please, R&amp;R! Your reviews inspire me to keep writing.


	4. Chapter 4: The Challenge

Chapter 4: The Challenge

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy, and as always, R&amp;R!

…

Jaclyn woke feeling almost as exhausted as when she had gone to bed. The entire night, all she had done was toss and turn as she tried to sleep. Half of her mind wanting nothing but a peaceful and deep sleep, the other desperately wanting to be with Ben again. As she dressed the next morning, she was forcing herself to constantly remember the truth that rang present through every day of her life. _Ben is gone, and no amount of dreams will bring him back._

When he had first passed away, Jaclyn had been almost a sort of junkie on dreams. Almost every day she would lock herself away and induce a dream state, just so she could have a couple more hours with him. But no matter what she did, he wasn't good enough. Only the real Ben could truly be the one that she loved.

After several months, Jaclyn finally found herself being able to let go of Ben. Slowly, she was able to start working again, and eventually she was able to keep him out of her induced dreams altogether. Memories did wash up on her every now and again, but they weren't anything as intense as what she had experienced the night before.

After Jaclyn had showered, fixed her hair, and gotten dressed, she went into the shared living room and kitchen area to make herself some coffee. The pot was just finishing brewing when Maya appeared from her room. "Morning." She greeted Jaclyn when she walked through the door. As always, the other woman looked wonderful and well-dressed.

"Morning." Jaclyn greeted the other woman. "Coffee?" She asked as she began to pour her own pot. "Sure." Maya replied. The other woman sat down at the breakfast bar across from where Jaclyn was standing, preparing their drinks.

"Are you alright?" Maya asked Jaclyn after she had sat down. "You look tired."

Jaclyn just shrugged her shoulders in response. "I think I'm just a bit jet-lagged."

Maya didn't question the other woman, merely took her response for what it was. Jaclyn wasn't surprised. She wasn't 'The Actress' for nothing. Ever since she was very young, she had been very good at concealing her emotions. Her response was easy and casual. Maya wouldn't know the truth unless she permitted her too.

After she had poured both of their coffee and fetched cream and sugar, she sat down next to the woman at the breakfast bar. They sat in silence and prepared the drinks to each of their liking, and Jaclyn pondered over whether or not to tell Maya the truth. After a couple of minutes in silence, Jaclyn decided to confide in the other woman.

"I had a dream about Ben last night." She stated simply after sipping on her coffee.

Maya put her mug down, surprise evident on her face. "Really? A real dream?"

Jaclyn nodded her head in response, but couldn't help to ponder what the woman had said. _Are the other kinds of dreams fake?_

"Yeah." She responded. "It wasn't really a dream though. I think it was a memory, of the time he took me to Greece."

Maya looked like she was pondering and took another sip of her coffee. "But it happened while you were sleeping?" Jaclyn nodded in response. "That's crazy. I can't even remember the last time I dreamed." Maya replied.

"I know. I couldn't remember either." Jaclyn wrapped both hands around her mug and stared down into the dark drink. She began to drift into thought, but Maya quickly interrupted her.

"Don't do that." She told the other woman sharply.

"Do what?" Jaclyn looked up from her coffee, surprised by the other woman's tone.

"You're dwelling on this too much." The woman answered. "Ben is gone. No dream will make him real. Whether it's a dream you have while you sleep, or while you're under. You need to focus on now. He wouldn't want you to dwell on the past like that."

Jaclyn was silent for a moment. She knew the other woman was right. But how could she not dwell on it? Ben was such a huge part of her life.

"He would want you to move on." Maya added, this time her tone more concerned and motherly.

Jaclyn nodded. "You're right." She stated. But she knew that it wouldn't be as easy as just saying it. She kept telling herself that she had been trying to move on from Ben. But she also wasn't sure if she was being completely honest with herself. She had been holding on to Ben since the day he had left. Maybe it was finally time for her to move on.

Jaclyn finished up the final sips of her coffee then set the mug down. "I'm going to talk to the owner of that club today." Jaclyn declared as she set her coffee down. "Can you work with Eames and Louis today on getting them into that facility?"

Maya nodded. "Yeah. I'll start finding blueprints of the place and try to snag some badges for Eames to get a look at."

"Make sure you check out what security is like." Jaclyn replied. "They might need to get some authorization or something."

The other woman finished her coffee and then pulled out her phone. "I'll call Louis and get started."

With that, Jaclyn stood up and grabbed her purse from the other room, before heading for the door.

"Jaclyn!" Maya called before she exited the room. Jaclyn stopped and turned around to face Maya. "I've been thinking about what we were talking about last night, about Eames. Even if he is good for it, he's not just going to spit out the information."

"Where are you going with this?" Jaclyn asked her.

"Well, I'm just saying. He's obviously attracted to you. I think you should get close to him. They don't call you the femme fatale for nothing." Maya replied.

"Get close to him, make him trust me, and then he'll just eventually tell me the truth." Jaclyn stated. "All right, I'll give it a shot."

"Just keep your distance. We don't need emotional attachment on this one. Especially if we're going to turn him over." Maya warned.

"Come on, I'm not some starry-eyed school girl. I've got this." Jaclyn replied easily.

…

It was around two in the afternoon when Jaclyn reached the club. It was obviously closed down, but there was a man waiting outside the club wearing jeans and a sports jacket. She could only assume this was the owner. Her car dropped her off at the front of the club, and she told the driver to give her an hour before he came back to pick her up.

She approached the owner of the club and shook his hand as she greeted him. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice, Mr. Gladstone."

The older man nodded as he shook her hand. "Not a problem Ms. Blanc." He turned and unlocked the front doors to the club. "After you." He gestured into the club. Jaclyn walked forward into the dark space and Mr. Gladstone followed in after her. He flipped on the lights to reveal a rather classy interior to the club. Everything was black leather, glass, or steel. She had a feeling this club was geared towards the wealthier people in this area.

"Very impressive." Jaclyn stated as she strolled through the club, her black pumps tapping lightly on the concrete. "I understand you have a VIP room? I'd like to see that."

"Absolutely." Mr. Gladstone replied. "Follow me this way." He led her up a steel staircase to the next level up. This was apparently the VIP area. It was situated on a balcony overlooking the rest of the club. However, past all of these tables were a set of double doors, which the owner then led Jaclyn to. Inside this room was decorated spectacularly. All of the finest furniture and glassware. Jaclyn took her time roaming about the room, and noticed a small wall with a half mirror on it. She walked up more closely and inspected the mirror.

"This is a one-way mirror." She declared after a final inspection of it. "What's on the other side?"

"An empty room." The owner declared. "It was created for me to keep an eye on some of the meetings I hold here." He explained.

Jaclyn glanced over her shoulder and nodded in understanding. She had a feeling this man wasn't involved in the most legal of activities when Maya had first begun to research him. But she didn't necessarily care what he was involved with. This room could be of great use to her.

"In two Saturdays, I would like to rent this VIP room from you for one night." She stated to the owner. "I would like no video footage to be taken and no people to come in or out of this room so long as I am here, except for the names I give you. Is that understood?"

"This will cost you." Mr. Gladstone stated.

Jaclyn was sure that wouldn't be an issue to their employer. "Money isn't an issue."

Mr. Gladstone nodded his head in response. He didn't care what he was doing. He just wanted the money.

"I do want access to this room as well." Jaclyn declared, pointing to the room beyond the mirror.

"Of course. Not a problem, Ms. Blanc."

…

Eames stared blankly at his hands as he tried to figure out how to get around the security issue they had come across at the Biotech facility. Under Jaclyn's recommendation, Maya had looked more closely into the security of the facility. Turns out, to get anywhere they need to be in the facility, they need to have a swipe-able badge that would grant them security access. Eames could make the badges, he was sure of that. But in order to do so, he would need to get ahold of a badge that would allow him access into all of the rooms of the facility. And it seemed most likely that only the head of the corporation would have such a badge.

But how to get ahold of this badge? That was the real question.

They had already gone over trying to hack into the security system, but Maya felt like that might draw to much attention to them. They had mulled over a few other ideas, but so far they had come up with nothing.

Eames picked up a pen and began clicking it as he tried to think of ideas. He kept that up for several minutes, before someone knocked on the door to the hotel room, and Maya got up to open the door. When Maya returned to the room, she was followed in by Jaclyn.

Apparently, it was hard for this girl to not be stunning. Skinny jeans, heels, a white shirt and a one-button sports jacket. Everything about this girl appealed to Eames. The way she dressed, the color of her hair, even the way she moved. He had to remind his mind to focus on the problem at hand.

"Glad you're here, Jaclyn." Eames remarked as the girl sat across the table from him. "We've encountered a bit of a problem."

Jaclyn shot him a questioning glance as she pulled her chair closer to the table.

"You were right about the security issue." Maya stated as she sat. She handed her laptop over to Jaclyn so the other girl could view the screen.

"In order to get anywhere we would actually like to get in this building, we need to have a badge that will pass through the scanners that are equipped on any door worth getting into. And the only person who has access to all of the rooms we want to get into is Henry Wiles. The very charming head of Vi-Tech pharmaceuticals." Eames commented.

"Well, what about hacking into their security system? We could steal the codes on the badges couldn't we?" Jaclyn suggested.

"I think their security system will raise an alert if I go that far into the system." Maya replied.

Jaclyn nodded and pondered for a moment, tapping her nails on the glass top of the table. Eames thought that she was going to be just as stuck as they were, until a light bulb seemed to flip on in her head.

"What if we eliminate having to use the badges at all?" Jaclyn suggested.

"What do you mean?" Eames questioned.

"What if I get an interview with Wiles? I can tell him we're an up-and-coming science magazine. Ask him for a tour, and interview him after. I can bring Eames. That'll give you a chance to get a good look at him. We'll sneak a camera on you and have footage for you to view even after we leave.

Everyone was silent in the room for a moment as they considered what Jaclyn had just said. The idea had never even crossed Eames' mind.

"That could work." Eames stated after a few moments of silence. "That could work really well, actually." He glanced at Louis to see if he would agree, and the man nodded in response.

"Excellent." Jaclyn beamed. "I'll get it set up."

…

They continued working for a little longer, but eventually Eames felt the need to wind down. He made himself a drink, before walking out onto the balcony of their hotel room. He leaned against the railing and looked out at the city. It wasn't quite the same as his view in Mombasa, but it was equally appealing to him. He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the warmth the alcohol gave him as it flowed down his throat. He focused on the silhouette of a bird flying across the sky for a moment, before he turned his attention to the sound of the door behind him opening.

"Mind if I join you?"

Eames turned around to see Jaclyn standing in the doorway.

"No, by all means." He replied, gesturing towards the empty space next to him.

She walked forward and filled the space next to him, and leaned sideways against the railing. She looked out towards the skyline, giving Eames a full view of her profile. His eyes studied the side of her face, the way her hair blew in the slight breeze, and eventually the movement of her hair directed his eyes to the soft skin along her neck and collarbone.

He averted his eyes, making sure she wouldn't notice his gaze. She was stunning. He found himself constantly forcing himself to keep his eyes, and his mind, focused on the skyline.

"Have you ever been to the redwood forest?" Jaclyn suddenly asked him.

Eames shook his head before he responded. "No, I can't say I have."

"It's not too far from here." Jaclyn replied. "I used to live here, a long time ago. But I moved away when I was younger, went to live in Paris with some of my other family. I haven't really been back much since. silence, the girl finally spoke. "I grew up not too far from here." Eames turned to look at her before he spoke.

"Really? Where?"

"Right on the edge of the Redwood forest. We had a big house, horses. It was beautiful."

"Do you still have family that lives there?" He questioned her.

"Yeah, my mom and my dad still live there."

"You think you'll visit them while you're out here?"

Jaclyn shook her head. "No. There's a lot of questions that I don't want to answer. A lot of 'concerns' that I don't really want to hear."

"I don't blame you." Eames replied. "I never visit my mum either. Too many questions." They both knew how this world worked. It was better if those you really cared about didn't really know any more than they needed to about their career choices.

"Where did you grow up? I can already guess somewhere in England." Jaclyn asked Eames, a smile playing about her lips.

Eames let out a breath before answering. "Salford, in Greater Manchester. Not necessarily the nicest part of England."

"Mmm." She answered. "Well, even if it wasn't the best area, at least you came away with a badass accent."

Eames laughed aloud at that. "Well thank you."

"So, in Salford" Jaclyn began, "Is that where you learned to pickpocket so well?" He could hear the teasing tone in her voice and didn't bother trying to hold back any sarcasm.

"Well, it was learned in Salford. Perfected in my various travels around the globe." Eames replied, a slight smile on his face.

Jaclyn laughed and turned around so that her back was leaning against the rail. "Is stealing really that easy for you?"

"I've had lots of practice. After a while, everyone's easy to steal from." He replied back nonchalantly.

"We have got to do something about this ego of yours." She teased him.

"No, I think you would miss our playful banter too much." He replied easily.

She smiled in response, and took the glass he was holding out of his hand and took a sip from the glass. A shudder ran over her body and she handed the glass back to him.

"Whiskey on the rocks?" She questioned him.

He laughed before he responded. "It's the only real way to drink whiskey."

"Warn me next time." She responded.

"You're the one that took the glass out of my hand. I had assumed you had known what you were getting into." He replied, a slight smirk on his face.

The woman surveyed him for a moment, and Eames suddenly felt slightly intimidated. Her gaze traveled over his body briefly, and Eames felt his stomach flip. The woman stopped leaning on the railing, and took a step closer to him, meeting his eyes. Eames didn't break the gaze, merely met her challenging stare with one of his own. Jaclyn reached out towards him, and her fingers gently touched his chest, before running up to his neck where she adjusted his collar, her fingertips brushing against the bare skin on his neck. Her touch made goose bumps appear down his body, and Eames appreciated the long sleeves he was wearing that would hide their appearance. Her close proximity allowed Eames to get an even better look at her, and he could even smell the sweet perfume she was wearing.

She pulled her hand away from him, and reached down toward the glass in his hand. She pulled the glass away from him, and her fingertips lingered on his for a moment as she did, before she sipped the rest of the whiskey. She handed the glass back to him again. She leaned toward him and spoke in his ear, her breath tickling him as she did.

"I know exactly what I'm getting into. Do you?" She asked him.

With that, the woman turned away from him and walked back towards the hotel room. "I'll see you later, Mr. Eames." She called behind her casually, leaving Eames standing on the balcony and looking after her. The goose bumps were just beginning to settle on his body, and he became suddenly aware of how quickly his heart had been beating.

_Bloody hell._ He thought briefly to himself. _What _am_ I getting myself in to?_

…

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please Review! Your reviews encourage me so much.


	5. Chapter 5: The Dinner

Chapter Five: The Dinner

Eames opened the door for Jaclyn as they walked back into the hotel room. They had just finished interviewing Henry Wiles at Vi-Tech pharmaceuticals. Eames had worn a hidden camera in the form of a ballpoint pen. With the footage of Wiles he should be able to study him enough to impersonate him in the dream.

Maya was typing away on her computer as they entered Maya and Jaclyn's room, and Louis was sitting beside her staring at blue prints. The two of them looked up as soon as they entered.

"How'd it go?" She asked them.

"About as well as it could go I suppose." Eames answered. "I got the footage I needed."

"That's good." Louis answered. "We were wondering when the two of you were going to get back. We made reservations for dinner, the two of us were just about to leave."

"Reservations for two?" Jaclyn asked Louis, her eyebrow raised.

"Well, we didn't know when you'd be getting back-" Louis began to explain.

"I'm only teasing." Jaclyn replied. "We'll figure something out I'm sure."

The four of them talked briefly, before Louis and Maya left to go out on their own. Jaclyn was sipping from a water bottle when Eames began to speak with her.

"I don't know about you but I'm feeling a bit peckish." He stated.

"You know, there's this really awesome thing hotels offer. It's called room service." Jaclyn replied smartly.

Eames smirked at her, and she replied with a playful smile as she placed the cap back on her water bottle. Again, Eames felt himself admiring her beauty. He had checked her out often before, but after the other night on the balcony he had begun to find himself with more and more ideas buzzing around in his head. He had been content just to look and admire from afar before, but her flirty nature with him had given him encouragement to go for something a little more.

He was feeling particularly bold this evening, so he decided to act.

"Come to dinner with me." He stated to her. He didn't bother to ask her, he had a feeling she liked the confidence of a statement more.

Jaclyn tossed her golden hair over her shoulder and stared him down for a moment. For a second, Eames could have sworn she was about to reject him.

"Alright." She finally said.

"Excellent. I'll make the arrangements." Eames replied.

"And I'll go get ready." Jaclyn responded. "What should I wear?"

"Something nice."

LINE BREAK

Eames knocked on the door to Jaclyn's hotel room about an hour later. He had gone back to his hotel room to change and give her time to get ready. He had chosen to go all black for this evening, wearing an all-black suit and dress shirt to match. He had made reservations at some fancy restaurant; he hadn't ever been there before. It occurred to him that he hadn't done something like this in some time. He normally ate in bars, or ordered room service. It wasn't often he had someone to take out with him. And even if he did, it wasn't like he was trying to impress the women he brought around with him. At least, not with something like the place he was about to take Jaclyn. But Jaclyn, she was different. She was more used to the privileged things in life, he could tell by just looking at her. And so far, she had seemed disappointingly unimpressed by him. Eames wasn't used to having much of a challenge when it came to his women. She was a welcome change for him. The chase had always been an enjoyable part of the game, and he had become lazy in the past couple of years.

He could hear sound coming from the other side of the door, and shortly after the hotel room door opened to reveal Jaclyn.

How was it possible that every time he saw her, she stunned him?

She had chosen all black as well, and the curve hugging black dress she wore gave a new definition to the term little black dress. With ruby red lips and her effortless blonde curls, Eames was worried for a moment that she looked too good for him.

Then he remembered the suit he was wearing, and all of those thoughts vanished out the window.

"Nice dress." He commented as she shut the door behind her.

"You like it? I hadn't worn it yet." She replied as she stood next to him.

"You look lovely." He replied. Lovely was an understatement. She looked incredible. But Eames couldn't think of a better word. He was too busy trying to stop himself from imagining how much better the dress would look if it was one the floor.

She tossed him one of her smiles, and he offered her his arm. She took it, and they walked side by side down the hall, and took the elevator down to the lobby. Their car was waiting for them out front as they exited the building.

"You rented a car?" Jaclyn asked, surprised, as they walked out of the building.

"I asked you out to dinner with me. I wasn't going to make you sit in the back of a cab." He answered as though the answer was obvious. "Besides, I like driving." He added.

He opened the door to the car for her before he went around to his own side and opened the driver's side door. He climbed in and started the car, and glanced over at Jaclyn. She was staring out of the window of the car, and again Eames felt himself staring at her. She must've felt his gaze, because she suddenly turned her head to look at him.

"Do you like what you see, Mr. Eames?" She asked him, calling him out.

Eames smirked before he put the car into gear. "Just enjoying the view, love."

He drove through the streets of San Francisco, and Jaclyn began to speak again.

"You know, I was under the impression that we were two coworkers going to dinner with one another." Jaclyn stated to him.

"Aren't we?" Eames asked her.

"I don't know, you tell me." Jaclyn replied. "Handsome suit, nice car. I'm sure you've picked some outrageous restaurant to take me to as well. This is starting to feel like a date."

"So you like the suit?" Eames shot back at her with a grin.

Jaclyn smiled slightly at his response. "I do like the suit. And I like the very subtle change of subject. Very elegant."

"Change of subject? You brought up the suit."

"You're insufferable." Jaclyn replied with a laugh.

"You know, sweetheart, you say things like that and they just eat at me. Really, they do."

Jaclyn just shook her head in response with a bemused expression on her face.

Eames smiled in response, pleased he had finally been able to make her speechless. He paused for a moment before he continued. "What would you like this to be, Ms. Blanc?"

"Dates do tend to make things complicated, don't they? Dating your coworkers starts to blur the lines between business and pleasure." Jaclyn responded.

"What's business without a bit of pleasure?" Eames responded brightly, his self-confident smile never leaving his face.

"With your attitude, you must not be a very good businessman." Jaclyn smarted back.

"And with your attitude you must be no fun at all." Eames answered back instantly as he pulled in front of the restaurant.

"Oh, really? You think so?" Jaclyn scoffed in response. "All right. It's a date."

Eames smirked at his small victory, and was caught off guard when Jaclyn suddenly leaned towards him. She put her mouth right next to his ear, and for the second time he was so close to her that he could've touched the silky smooth skin on her neck. "Now, Mr. Eames. Impress me." She challenged him, her voice hardly audible. She leaned back in her seat, leaving Eames feeling thoroughly challenged. This was the kind of chase he wanted.

He stood out of the car, and tossed his keys to the valet, who then handed him a ticket. Eames walked to the passenger door and opened the door for Jaclyn. She stood, and as she did, Eames replied to her challenge.

"Will do, Ms. Blanc."

LINE BREAK

The restaurant he had picked out was certainly nicer than any he'd dined at recently. It was a very modern place, it seemed. He checked in for their reservation (he'd had to pull a few strings to get one), and they were lead to their table. He pulled Jaclyn's seat out for her, and she sat down.

Her eyes wandered over the décor of the space and the people around them, but Eames couldn't take his eyes off of her long enough to look anywhere else. She seemed to notice after a moment, and laughed aloud as she caught him again this evening.

"What are you looking at, Mr. Eames?" She asked him, the laugh still in her voice.

Her laughing tugged a smile from the corner of his mouth. What _was_ he looking at? He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her all night. It was everything, really. The more he thought on it. Her body, her face, her hair. The way she talked, moved. He had never been so attracted to another person. And her constant teasing of him was only egging him on more. He liked her. He did. The more he thought about it, and the more he was around her he couldn't deny it.

"I'm looking at you." Eames replied to her question.

A smirk formed on the edge of her lips, and she looked as though she was about to reply. However, their waiter chose to walk up to them right at that moment. She ordered wine, and he told the waiter to bring a bottle of what she had ordered. When the waiter walked away Jaclyn was staring at him.

"If you think you can just throw your money at me to impress me-" Jaclyn began.

"I would never dream of it. It sounded like a good wine, so I figured the two of us could finish the bottle." Eames replied easily.

"It's a $700 bottle." She answered.

"Well, hopefully it's decent and won't be a waste of money." Eames answered. Honestly, he was looking for a reason to throw some money around. Performing inception on Fischer had left him incredibly rich. He didn't really have a reason to live extravagantly, though. So most of it sat around far too undisturbed.

She raised one eyebrow at him but didn't complain any further. The waiter brought their wine back, and they ordered their meals. As soon as she took a sip of the wine he could tell she didn't regret his decision to buy the bottle.

…..

Jaclyn set her glass of wine down on the table after she had sipped on it for a moment and met eyes with Eames evenly. She couldn't deny now what Maya had been saying earlier. He was extremely attractive. He had chosen to wear an all-black suit and tie tonight, and so far it was her favorite outfit she had seen him in. The clean lines of the suit showcased all the best parts of him. His chest, his arms. But he prevented himself from looking too formal by the light five o'clock shadow on his face. He wore wealth well, although she knew he hadn't been born into it.

Speaking of his wealth, if she hadn't known the signs of it she would have never known he was wealthy before this evening. He didn't live a flamboyant lifestyle, didn't act superior. But she had been around enough wealth to spy the subtle clues that he was in fact extraordinarily wealthy.

Most everyone in dreamsharing was well off. The jobs paid so well. But no one was as wealthy as Eames was. He either had to have worked nearly constantly for the past couple years (a difficult feat considering that jobs were often few and far between) or he had done something that had paid him a singularly large sum.

The longer she was around him, the more she felt he was capable of the job she was searching for. He was confident, that much was certain. But his confidence had backing. His ability to read others and play to them was impressive to say the least. She couldn't wait to see him in the dream, see him play the role of the Forger. It was one of the most difficult roles to master in dreamsharing. Her own skill, the Actress, was difficult as well. If it was easy everyone would be capable of it. But to fully take on another's image was another story entirely.

She met her green eyes to his grey ones across the table, and as soon as she did his mouth tilted into a subtle smirk. She didn't know what he was playing at. She didn't think he was simply invested in a good night. If he was, he was going through a lot for that. But he knew better, as well. He knew she wasn't the kind of girl who did that so carelessly, especially with a coworker. So what was he playing at? She would have to figure it out, and play to it. She needed him to care about her if she was going to find out the truth about him.

"How did you get into dreamsharing?" She asked him suddenly, deciding it was a good jumping-off point for conversation.

"Military." Eames answered immediately. "I joined up when I was much younger. I was looking for a fresh start. I didn't mean to get into dreamsharing, it just fell into my lap. I got recruited into a special ops program, that's when I first did it. But after a while, the program shut down and we were all sent home."

Jaclyn nodded in understanding and took another sip of her wine. "After that you were contacted?"

"An extractor found me almost immediately after and recruited me to work with him. Back then it was all I wanted to do, all I wanted to be involved in. I craved the ability to create my own world, to learn the ins and outs of people's minds. I didn't realize back then what it would cost."

"Cost?" Jaclyn asked him.

"You know what I mean." Eames replied, his voice softer now.

Yes, Jaclyn knew what he meant. You could have a family, if you were careful. But it was dangerous. Just one more thing for companies to hold over your head if you failed. Same thing when it came to having a relationship. To be involved with someone who wasn't in the world of dreamsharing meant countless lies or a wholly unbelievable truth. To be involved with someone who was also a dreamsharer meant the fear of death for your other. Besides that, you couldn't dream anymore. And, there was also the constant threat of suddenly losing of your sanity.

"I know." Jaclyn replied.

"What about you?" Eames asked her.

"I was introduced to it by my fiancé." Jaclyn replied.

"I didn't know you had a fiancé." Eames answered, clearly taken back by her response.

"He's dead now."

Instantly, silence permeated between them. Jaclyn reached forward for her glass of wine and downed the rest of it in one gulp before setting it one the table a little harder than she meant to.

"I didn't mean to touch on a sensitive subject." Eames began.

"It's fine." Jaclyn answered, not meeting his eyes.

"Jaclyn." He said her name tenderly. It was a request.

She raised her eyes to him and met his grey eyes with her green ones. She was instantly shocked by the intensity of his gaze. Although by this point she shouldn't be. She should have gotten used to him looking at her that way, by now.

"I am sorry. Truly." He finally said after another moment.

Jaclyn nodded her head once, and instinctively reached for her glass of wine. She would've taken another sip of her wine if she hadn't already finished her first glass. Eames smiled just slightly as her fingers played with the crystal stem, and he reached over and filled her glass for her.

"Thanks." Jaclyn muttered quietly.

"Of course, darling." Eames answered. He was quiet for another couple of moments before he spoke again. "Was he an extractor?"

Jaclyn nodded her head. "Yes. He was. He was good, too. Just not good enough."

"It's a game. This entire life." Eames stated. "And each move you make could be a deadly one."

"Have you lost someone?" Jaclyn asked.

"No." Eames replied. "I learned very early on what could happen to people that I care about. I don't normally let people get very close to me."

"So then what is this?" Jaclyn asked him, deciding not to beat around the bush anymore.

"What do you mean?" Eames asked, clearly surprised by her question.

"Do I need to go over it again?" Jaclyn asked, one eyebrow raised. "Handsome suit, nice car, nice restaurant, great wine-"

"So the wine was a good investment?" He interrupted.

"You have a gifted art for changing the subject, Mr. Eames." Jaclyn stated to him.

Eames offered her a smile instead of an answer.

"So you're just not going to answer my question?" Jaclyn asked him.

Eames hesitated, and Jaclyn could tell that he was weighing his next words carefully. "Are you asking me to be frank with you?"

Jaclyn nodded to him, and he continued.

"I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on." He stated.

Instantly, Jaclyn blushed. "Mr. Eames, you flatter me, really-"

"I'm glad I do, but I'm not trying to flatter you. I'm trying you the truth. I don't usually let people get close to me, as I said. But if you would let me, I would like to get to know you better."

As the words came off his tongue, Jaclyn felt her own small satisfaction at this achievement. This was exactly what she needed from him. He sat silent, clearly waiting for a response from her, and she let him sit in agony for a few moments before she came up with a carefully crafted response.

"Mr. Eames, I don't really allow for people to get very close to me. It's just too dangerous." She began. "In fact, I have made a rule out of not allowing myself any relationship to exist that lasts longer than one night."

"I'm not asking to be in a relationship with you." Eames immediately countered. "I just want the opportunity to be close to you."

"What part about 'I don't let people get close to me' was confusing to you?" She asked him.

Eames smirked. "None of it. And need I remind you, I also have the same rule. But you do know there's an exception to every rule."

Jaclyn laughed aloud. "I admire your persistence, Mr. Eames."

He smiled slightly in response before he launched into another explanation. "I don't like a lot of 'what if's' in my life. And I would never forgive myself if I watched you walk into my life for one job, and then walk right back out. All I'm asking for is one chance. If you decide it's a bad idea, send me on my way and I promise I won't bother you again. What have you got to lose? At the worst you get free dinner and great company several nights a week, and at best you end up with me."

Jaclyn shook her head again. "You're relentless."

"I prefer the term motivated." Eames instantly shot back.

"Fine, Mr. Eames." Jaclyn finally consented. "I give you permission to pursue. But your disappointment will be your own."

Eames grinned at his small victory, and Jaclyn couldn't help but smile herself. He was charming, she would give him that. And if things were different, maybe she could have actually entertained the idea of being with him.

But things weren't different. Ben had been killed as a direct result of this lifestyle, and Eames was her mark.

…..

Eames left the restaurant with Jaclyn a couple of hours later, with her on his arm as they walked out to the car. As they walked past the people in the restaurant, and the people outside of it, Eames couldn't help but to smirk to himself just slightly. They had been getting stares the whole night. Jaclyn attracted several wandering eyes in the restaurant, but all it did was feed Eames ego the entire night. Yes, this pretty blonde was on his arm. Everyone else could stare as much as they wanted, but she wasn't about to shift away from his side this evening. On top of that, she had consented to his pursuit of her. She was giving him the chase he wanted, and offering a prize at the end of it that far exceeded any other. It wouldn't be easy, but he didn't want easy.

They approached the valet, and as they did, he greeted them formally. "Good evening, sir. I trust you and your wife had an excellent dinner?"

Jaclyn responded before Eames even had the opportunity to. "It was quite lovely. I certainly am quite spoiled, my husband is so doting."

"You certainly deserve to be spoiled." The valet responded. The looks the valet was giving to Jaclyn didn't go unnoticed by Eames. "He's a lucky man."

Eames withdrew the valet ticket out of his pocket, and met eyes with the valet. "I like to think so." He responded as he handed the man his ticket.

The valet nodded quickly, and averted his eyes from Jaclyn as he felt Eames' eyes on him. The valet took the ticket and ducked his head before he vanished to fetch their car.

"My wife?" Eames asked her as the valet walked away.

"He was eating me with his eyes. It was disgusting." Jaclyn immediately shot back.

"I'm not complaining, love. I just want to say that not too long ago you were telling me I barely had a shot. And now I'm your husband."

She immediately rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, please. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"I'm not getting ahead of anything." Eames retorted. "I'm just saying that I think you like me more than you're letting on."

At that time, the valet returned with the car, and Eames opened the door for Jaclyn before the valet had the opportunity to. He gave the valet one final stern look before tipping him and climbing into the car himself.

He put the car into gear and began to drive through the maze of streets that was San Francisco. After a few minutes of driving, Jaclyn realized what he was up to.

"Where are we going?" She asked him suddenly. "The hotel is the other way."

"Yes, it is." Eames responded, ignoring the first portion of her question.

"Mr. Eames." Jaclyn stated sternly. "Tell me where we're going."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" He shot back at her.

She only responded with a skeptical glance and a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, have a little faith." Eames replied. "Like I said, if I'm overwhelmingly disappointing just tell me and I'll leave you alone. All I ask is for a fair chance."

This time she responded with a consenting silence, and her standoffishness did nothing to dilute Eames' desire to impress her.

They drove for a little longer, until they reached a set of gates barring a small road.

"You want to show me a dead end?" Was Jaclyn's immediate statement.

Eames looked over at her with his signature smirk present on his face. "You just have no faith at all, darling." He put the car into park, and stepped out of it quickly. It took him seconds to figure out the code for the gate, and as soon as he did he typed it in and the gate opened obediently.

He returned to the car and drove a little ways uphill. They eventually came to a stop at the top of a hill. He opened the door for Jaclyn after he had stepped out himself. When she gasped, Eames knew he had done well.

The hill they were at overlooked the Bay Bridge, and the surrounding city. The lights from the city and bridge twinkled delightfully on the river, and the city itself glimmered with the life of night. The sounds of people laughing, horns honking, and general nighttime revelry drifted across the water to where they were.

"What do you think? Are you impressed yet?" He asked her after a few moments of silence.

She didn't answer at first, her eyes continued to roam over the view. "Yes. I'm impressed, Mr. Eames. It's absolutely beautiful." She finally answered after several moments. She turned to look at him and continued. "How did you know about this place?"

Eames shrugged his shoulders. He'd seen the road several times, and after checking on a map he was certain of where it led. "You can't expect me to reveal all my secrets."

She laughed and offered him one of the first truly genuine smiles he had seen from her. "Maybe one day you will."

"Maybe one day." Eames replied. He walked over to the car and sat down on the hood, and she followed to sit next to him. It was a bit chilly, and as she sat Eames removed his jacket and placed it gently over her shoulders. It was quite overlarge on her, but she slipped her arms through it just the same. They stayed silent, sitting side by side, for some time. Eventually, Eames checked the watch on his wrist.

"We should probably get back." He said softly to her. She had moved toward him and had looped her arm through his, and rested her head against his shoulder. She sighed before she sat up and nodded her head. Eames stood first, and offered his hand to help her stand. She took it, and once she had stood he expected her to remove her hand from his, but instead she slipped her fingers in between his and let him lead her back to the car. When he got back in the car, she held his hand when he wasn't switching gears. And she let him walk her back to her room like that as well.

When they finally arrived back at her room, Jaclyn hesitated before she opened her door. Eames leaned against the wall next to her door casually and waited for her to speak.

"Thank you for dinner. And after." She finally said after a moment of hesitation.

"Thank you for letting me take you." Eames replied.

She nodded, and opened her door. "Goodnight, Mr. Eames." She added quickly.

"Goodnight, Jaclyn."

….

Jaclyn shut the door behind her quietly, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Maya sitting in the living room.

"I didn't expect you to still be awake." Jaclyn stated.

"I was just finishing up on some work." Maya replied. "How did dinner go?"

Jaclyn hesitated before she answered the question. Dinner had gone very well, actually. But not just for their plan. In general, she had found herself thoroughly entertained by Eames. She hadn't expected him to bring her anywhere else after dinner, and the view had been so spectacular. When she had been sitting next to Eames, wrapped warmly in his jacket and looking at the city, she'd had a most unusual thought. For one moment, she had wished things were different. That she could actually get to know him instead of only trying to pry his secrets from him. She'd had a moment of weakness. She wasn't used to that. She had kept up a rock-solid wall ever since Ben's death. There was no reason it should start cracking now, and certainly not for Jacob Eames.

"It went well." Was all Jaclyn said.

"Do you think he likes you?"

A smile played about Jaclyn's lips as she thought of everything Eames had said to her at dinner. "Yes, I think he does."

"Hopefully that'll work in our favor." Maya answered.

"I certainly hope it will."

….

A/N: Please, R&amp;R!


End file.
